North Korean Civil-Military Trends: Military-First Politics to A Point

Civil-military relations is one of the most challenging dimensions to deal with regarding North Korea. It is a topic that is difficult-if not impossible-to quantify with any real precision. Yet few subjects are more crucial to understanding that country. After all, since 1998, Pyongyang's foremost policy has been declared as "military-first." While experts debate the precise meaning and significance of this policy, considerable consensus exists that it gives the leading role to the Korean People's Army (KPA)-as all services of the armed forces of North Korea collectively are known. Hence, military leaders in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are very powerful and influential figures. Who are they? What kind of power and influence do these leaders wield, and how do they exert it? How do KPA leaders interact with dictator Kim Jong Il and their civilian counterparts? Mr. Ken Gause sets out to answer these questions in this monograph.